7. Floating Dementor Specters
Bring a sense of chilling, ethereal dread to your front yard or hallway with life-sized, floating specters reminiscent of Dementors or grim reapers. These towering, faceless figures appear to float weightlessly in the air, their tattered black robes billowing in the wind. Because they have no visible faces or bodies, they tap into the primal fear of the unknown, making them incredibly creepy additions to your outdoor Halloween display. Using cheap cheesecloth and a simple wire armature, you can create a hauntingly beautiful, weather-resistant phantom that will send shivers down the spines of passersby.
To construct a floating specter, create a basic head and torso frame using a styrofoam mannequin head, a wire coat hanger for shoulders, and a length of PVC pipe as a central support spine. Wrap the frame in chicken wire to give the torso volume and shape. Next, purchase several yards of cheap, white or black cheesecloth. Soak the cheesecloth in a mixture of fabric stiffener (or watered-down school glue) and dark grey or black acrylic paint. Drape the wet cloth over the wire frame, pulling and tearing the bottom edges to create a shredded, wind-worn look. Shape the fabric to look as though the specter is reaching forward or floating. Once the glue dries, the cheesecloth will harden into a rigid, windproof shell. Remove the internal support pipe and hang the hollow specter from a tree limb using thin fishing line, allowing it to sway eerily in the breeze.